For more information on ROBOTC's Virtual World program, see our [http://www.robotc.net/download/rvw/specifications.php Computer Requirements and Performance page.]

ROBOTC will not run natively in any other operating system other than Microsoft Windows. ROBOTC will run with a Virtualization client on a Apple Macintosh. ROBOTC has been tested with VMWare Fusion, Parallels Desktop, and Apple's Boot Camp. You will still need to download/install device drivers found on your purchased CD or on the ROBOTC website.

ROBOTC will not run natively in any other operating system other than Microsoft Windows. ROBOTC will run with a Virtualization client on a Apple Macintosh. ROBOTC has been tested with VMWare Fusion, Parallels Desktop, and Apple's Boot Camp. You will still need to download/install device drivers found on your purchased CD or on the ROBOTC website.

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<br />

<br />

−

== Uninstalling and Installing ROBOTC ==

+

== Downloading ROBOTC ==

−

=== Uninstalling ===

+

{|

−

{|width="740px"

+

|Before we start programming in ROBOTC, we need to first download and install the client. This can be done by navigating to ROBOTC's website ( https://www.robotc.net) and selecting the 'Downloads' tab.

|-

|-

−

|You must uninstall your previous version of ROBOTC before upgrading to the newest version of ROBOTC.<br />

+

|1) From the ROBOTC website, select the individual robotics platform you wish to program on. If you want to use multiple platforms or accidentally download the wrong version, you can manually activate and choose another platform thorugh the ROBOTC program. When you get to the correct platform page, click on the 'Download ROBOTC for X version x.xx' to start the download process:

+

|-

+

|<br />

+

|-

+

|[[File:Install_Download_Firefox.png]]

+

|-

+

|<br />

+

|-

+

|[[File:Install_Download_IE.png]]

+

|-

+

|<br />

+

|-

+

|2) At this point click the 'Save' button to start downloading ROBOTC. You may get a warning pop-up from either Windows, your antivirus program, or both. This is to warn you that some programs downloaded from the internet can be malicious and to use care before running them; click allow to start the download.

+

|-

+

|<br />

+

|}

−

To uninstall ROBOTC, follow these steps:<br />

+

== Installing and Uninstalling ROBOTC ==

−

1. Open the Control Panel from your "Start Menu"<br />

+

=== Installing ===

−

[[File:uninstall1.gif]]

+

{|

+

|1) Once the program is done downloading, navigate to the Downloads folder on your computer and start the ROBOTC installer. You may have to right click on the installer and select the "Run as Administrator" depending on individual computer restrictions; ROBOTC must be installed with administrator privileges.

+

|-

+

|<br />

+

|-

+

|[[File:Install_Normal.png]]

+

|-

+

|<br />

+

|-

−

+

|-

−

2. Inside of the Control Panel, select "Add or Remove Programs"<br />

+

|2) Before you can proceed, you must read over and accept the End User License Agreement. If you agree to the End User Agreement, check the "I accept" and then the "Next" button to continue the installation.

−

[[File:uninstall2.gif]]

+

|-

−

+

|<br />

−

+

|-

−

3. Navigate through the "Add or Remove Programs" list until you find your version of ROBOTC that you wish to uninstall. Press the "Remove button"<br />

+

|[[File:Install_End_User.png]]

−

[[File:uninstall3.gif]]

+

|-

−

+

|<br />

−

+

|-

−

4. Windows will start the uninstall process. When the window below disappears and you are returned to the "Add or Remove Programs" list, ROBOTC has been successfully uninstalled.<br />

+

|3) Next, select where you would like ROBOTC to install to. The default location is C:/Program Files (x86)/Robomatter Inc/ROBOTC Development Environment.

−

[[File:uninstall4.gif]]

+

|-

+

|<br />

+

|-

+

|[[File:Install_Select_Directory.png]]

+

|-

+

|<br />

+

|-

+

|4) The installer will ask you to confirm your settings. If everything looks correct, click "Install" to being the installation process. The installer will then begin copying files from the installer to your computer. Please wait until this is complete.<br />

+

|-

+

|<br />

+

|-

+

|[[File:Install_Install_Progress.png]]

+

|-

+

|<br />

+

|-

+

|5) The installer will inform you of when the installation is complete. Click the "Finish" button to complete your install.<br />

+

|-

+

|<br />

+

|-

+

|[[File:Install_Complete.png]]

+

|-

+

|<br />

+

|-

+

|6) Right-Click on the ROBOTC icon and select "Run as Administrator" to run ROBOTC as an administrator (assuming the user account has administrator privileges). You will only need to do this one time.<br />

+

|-

+

|<br />

+

|-

+

|[[File:Install_Run_Admin.png]]

+

|-

+

|<br />

+

|-

+

|Depending on which platform you are installing, ROBOTC may also install additional drivers unique to each platform. If for any reason the drivers are not downloaded and installed properly they can be downloaded and installed manually from the [http://www.robotc.net/download/ ROBOTC website.]

|}

|}

<br />

<br />

−

=== Installing ===

+

=== Uninstalling ===

−

{|width="740px"

+

{|

|-

|-

−

|To Install the latest version of ROBOTC, follow these steps:

+

|To uninstall ROBOTC, follow the steps below:<br />

−

+

|-

−

1. Double click on the ROBOTC installer. You will be presented with the Installshield installer for ROBOTC. Click "Next" to proceed.<br />

+

|<br />

−

[[File:install1.gif]]

+

|-

−

+

|1) Open the Control Panel from your Windows "Start Menu"<br />

−

+

|-

−

2. Before you can proceed, you must read over the accept the End User License Agreement. Click "I accept" and then the "Next" button to proceed.<br />

+

|[[File:Uninstall_Control_Panel.png]]

−

[[File:install2.gif]]

+

|-

−

+

|2) Inside of the Control Panel, select "Programs -> Uninstall a Program" or "Add or Remove Programs" (depending on view settings).<br />

−

+

|-

−

3. Choose where you would like to install ROBOTC to. By default, ROBOTC is installed to your "Program Files" folder. Click "Next" to proceed.<br />

+

|3) Navigate through the "Add or Remove Programs" list until you find the version of ROBOTC that you wish to uninstall. Press the "Uninstall" button.<br />

−

[[File:install3.gif]]

+

|-

−

+

|<br />

−

+

|-

−

4. The installer will ask you to confirm your settings. If everything looks correct, click "Install" to being the installation process.<br />

+

||[[File:Uninstall_ROBOTC.png]]

−

[[File:install4.gif]]

+

|-

−

+

|<br />

−

+

|-

−

5. The installer will begin copying files from the installer to your computer. Please wait until this is complete.<br />

+

|4) Windows will start the uninstall process. When the window below disappears and you are returned to the "Add or Remove Programs" list, ROBOTC has been successfully uninstalled.<br />

−

[[File:install5.gif]]

+

−

+

−

6. When the installation is complete, the install will inform you of this. Click "Finish" to complete your install.<br />

|There is a special type of ROBOTC license called a Building License . These licenses do not require an online activation but rather have a unique building license file that must be installed with the software in order for ROBOTC to work properly. When you order a building license you will be sent an email with a unique building license file.

+

|-

+

|<br />

+

|-

+

|To activate ROBOTC with a building license, download and run the installer as normal. Once the program is installed, copy the building license file into the ROBOTC directory (typically C:/Program Files (x86)/Robomatter Inc/ROBOTC Developement Environment).

+

|-

+

|<br />

+

|-

+

|[[File:Building_License_Location.png]]

+

|-

+

|One of the advantages of building licenses is that they help make automated installs easy. To roll out ROBOTC to multiple computers using a building license, make sure the base image has ROBOTC installed and the building license files in the correct directory. As long as those two conditions are met, ROBOTC should be active on each computer the image is rolled out to with no futher action required.

+

|-

+

|<br />

+

|-

+

|There is, however, an exception. If ROBOTC is being run from a centralized network, each computer that needs to access ROBOTC must also install a Network Dependencies package (available from the ROBOTC downloads page). The building license file must also be properly installed on the network in order for networked computers to access ROBOTC.

+

|-

+

|}

== Activate Online ==

== Activate Online ==

−

{|width="740px"

+

{|

|-

|-

|'''To continue using ROBOTC past the 30 day trial period''', you must purchase a ROBOTC license and then activate the license on each computer.

|'''To continue using ROBOTC past the 30 day trial period''', you must purchase a ROBOTC license and then activate the license on each computer.

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*If you ordered the CD-ROM version of ROBOTC, the License ID and Password are printed on the CD label.

*If you ordered the CD-ROM version of ROBOTC, the License ID and Password are printed on the CD label.

−

'''If you are Activating the ROBOTC license on computers with internet access, follow the Activation instructions below.''' If you are activating the ROBOTC license on computers without internet access, skip to Activate by Web instructions.

+

'''If you are Activating the ROBOTC license on computers with internet access, follow the Activation instructions below.'''

−

'''''NOTE:''' ROBOTC must be activated on each individual computer.''

+

'''''NOTE:''' ROBOTC must be activated on each individual computer. ROBOTC can no longer be activated offline; the computers must be activated with a working internet connection. Once activation is complete, the computers do not need to remain online to stay activated.''

Follow these steps to activate on a computer with internet access:

Follow these steps to activate on a computer with internet access:

−

1. Open ROBOTC and select "Activate ROBOTC" from the start-up prompt.<br />

+

1) Open ROBOTC and navigate to the Help menu. From there, select 'Manage Licenses -> Add License'. If you do not already have a ROBOTC license, you may purchase one by clicking the 'Purchase License' option. <br />

−

[[File:Activate_Main.gif]]

+

−

2. Select "Activate ROBOTC for MINDSTORMS Online"<br />

+

[[File:Activating_Manage.png]]

−

[[File:Activate_Selection_Online.gif]]

+

−

+

<br />

−

3. Enter in your License ID and Password that you received via emaill. Click the "Continue" button to proceed.<br />

+

2) From the Manage License menu, select the 'Add License' button. Note that there is also a greyed out option for "Deactivate License". This allows you to deactivate the license (where applicable; not all licenses can be deactivated) and reactivate it on another computer. Once a license is activated, you can also see the registration information and create a desktop icon for ROBOTC by clikcing on their respective buttons.<br />

−

[[File:Activate_Online_LicenseIDPass.gif]]

+

−

4. ROBOTC will communicate with the activation server via the internet to verify your License ID and Password.<br />

+

[[File:Activating_Add_Main.png]]

−

[[File:Activate_Processing.gif]]

+

−

−

5. ROBOTC is activated and ready for use. Click Continue to use ROBOTC for MINDSTORMS.<br />

−

[[File:Activate_Success.gif]]

−

|}

<br />

<br />

+

3) Clicking the Add License button will bring up a 'Add New ROBOTC License' window. From here you must first select which type of license you have and then enter your License ID and Password (to see the password characters as you type, uncheck the 'mask' checkbox). <br />

−

== Activate by Web ==

−

{|width="740px"

−

|-

−

|'''Follow these steps to activate on a computer without internet access:

−

Note: You will need to use a separate computer with Internet access in step 4 at this activation process. You must repeat this process on each computer without internet access.

+

[[File:Activating_Add_Select.png]]

−

1. Open ROBOTC and select "Activate ROBOTC" from the menu.<br />

+

[[File:Activating_Add_Activate.png]]

−

[[File:Activate_Main.gif]]

+

−

+

−

+

−

2. Select "Activate by Web"<br />

+

−

[[File:Activate_Selection_Web.gif]]

+

+

<br />

+

4) Once the information is entered, click the 'Activate Online' button to activate the product. If you wish to activate multiple products, simply repeat the process. You may also start a trial of any of the ROBOTC versions (assuming the trial has not already been activated on the computer) by selecting the program you'd wish to try and selecting "Start Trial". <br />

−

3. Two user codes will be displayed. Copy both of these down. Take these codes with you to a separate computer with Internet access.<br />

−

[[File:Activate_Web_UserCodes.gif]]

−

−

−

4. At a separate computer with internet access, visit http://www.robotc.net/register. Enter your License ID and Password that you received via email and click "Next."<br />

8. ROBOTC will be activated and ready for use. Click Continue to use ROBOTC.<br />

−

[[File:Activate_Success.gif]]

|}

|}

<br />

<br />

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{|width="740px"

{|width="740px"

|-

|-

−

|ROBOTC for MINDSTORMS has support for four different platforms:

+

|Open the "Robot" menu in ROBOTC and hover your cursor over the "Platform Type" menu option. This will open up the platform select menu. Select the platform you wish you use with ROBOTC. You can change the platform type at any time.

−

*LEGO Mindstorms RCX

+

−

*LEGO Mindstorms NXT

+

−

*LEGO Mindstorms NXT + TETRIX

+

−

*Robot Algebra (NXT)

+

−

Before you use ROBOTC, make sure to select which platform you are currently using.

+

ROBOTC for MINDSTORMS has support for five different platforms:

+

* LEGO Mindstorms NXT

+

* LEGO Mindstorms NXT + TETRIX/MATRIX

+

* Natural Language (NXT)

+

* Natural Language (TETRIX/MATRIX)

+

* Robot Algebra (NXT)

−

'''Changing Platform Type:'''

+

Before you use ROBOTC, make sure to select which platform you are currently using (in this example, the Lego Mindstorms/TETRIX/MATRIX platform is selected).

−

Open the "Robot" menu in ROBOTC and hover your cursor over the "Platform Type" menu option. This will open up the platform select menu. Select the platform you wish you use with ROBOTC. You can change the platform type at any time.<br />

+

−

[[File:selectplatform.jpg]]

+

−

|}

+

−

<br />

+

−

== Getting Started with the VEX CORTEX ==

−

To get started with your VEX CORTEX, head over to the [[Tutorials/Getting_Started/Getting_Started_with_the_VEX_CORTEX|Getting Started with VEX CORTEX]] page!

−

<br />

−

== Getting Started with the VEX PIC ==

+

[[File:Selecting_Platform_Type.png]]

−

To get started with your VEX PIC, head over to the [[Tutorials/Getting_Started/Getting_Started_with_the_VEX_PIC|Getting Started with VEX PIC]] page!

Revision as of 20:35, 22 October 2012

Contents

System Requirements

ROBOTC requires basic system specifications to run properly. The development environment is not processor intensive, but the interactive debugger may slow down computer performance on older machines.

System Requirements:
Intel® Pentium® processor or compatible, 800 MHz minimum
Windows XP Professional or Home Edition with Service Pack 2 or greater
256MB of RAM minimum
Up to 30MB of available hard disk space
1 available USB port
Compatible Bluetooth adapter (optional)

ROBOTC will not run natively in any other operating system other than Microsoft Windows. ROBOTC will run with a Virtualization client on a Apple Macintosh. ROBOTC has been tested with VMWare Fusion, Parallels Desktop, and Apple's Boot Camp. You will still need to download/install device drivers found on your purchased CD or on the ROBOTC website.

Downloading ROBOTC

Before we start programming in ROBOTC, we need to first download and install the client. This can be done by navigating to ROBOTC's website ( https://www.robotc.net) and selecting the 'Downloads' tab.

1) From the ROBOTC website, select the individual robotics platform you wish to program on. If you want to use multiple platforms or accidentally download the wrong version, you can manually activate and choose another platform thorugh the ROBOTC program. When you get to the correct platform page, click on the 'Download ROBOTC for X version x.xx' to start the download process:

2) At this point click the 'Save' button to start downloading ROBOTC. You may get a warning pop-up from either Windows, your antivirus program, or both. This is to warn you that some programs downloaded from the internet can be malicious and to use care before running them; click allow to start the download.

Installing and Uninstalling ROBOTC

Installing

1) Once the program is done downloading, navigate to the Downloads folder on your computer and start the ROBOTC installer. You may have to right click on the installer and select the "Run as Administrator" depending on individual computer restrictions; ROBOTC must be installed with administrator privileges.

2) Before you can proceed, you must read over and accept the End User License Agreement. If you agree to the End User Agreement, check the "I accept" and then the "Next" button to continue the installation.

3) Next, select where you would like ROBOTC to install to. The default location is C:/Program Files (x86)/Robomatter Inc/ROBOTC Development Environment.

4) The installer will ask you to confirm your settings. If everything looks correct, click "Install" to being the installation process. The installer will then begin copying files from the installer to your computer. Please wait until this is complete.

5) The installer will inform you of when the installation is complete. Click the "Finish" button to complete your install.

6) Right-Click on the ROBOTC icon and select "Run as Administrator" to run ROBOTC as an administrator (assuming the user account has administrator privileges). You will only need to do this one time.

Depending on which platform you are installing, ROBOTC may also install additional drivers unique to each platform. If for any reason the drivers are not downloaded and installed properly they can be downloaded and installed manually from the ROBOTC website.

Uninstalling

To uninstall ROBOTC, follow the steps below:

1) Open the Control Panel from your Windows "Start Menu"

2) Inside of the Control Panel, select "Programs -> Uninstall a Program" or "Add or Remove Programs" (depending on view settings).

3) Navigate through the "Add or Remove Programs" list until you find the version of ROBOTC that you wish to uninstall. Press the "Uninstall" button.

4) Windows will start the uninstall process. When the window below disappears and you are returned to the "Add or Remove Programs" list, ROBOTC has been successfully uninstalled.

Building Licenses

There is a special type of ROBOTC license called a Building License . These licenses do not require an online activation but rather have a unique building license file that must be installed with the software in order for ROBOTC to work properly. When you order a building license you will be sent an email with a unique building license file.

To activate ROBOTC with a building license, download and run the installer as normal. Once the program is installed, copy the building license file into the ROBOTC directory (typically C:/Program Files (x86)/Robomatter Inc/ROBOTC Developement Environment).

One of the advantages of building licenses is that they help make automated installs easy. To roll out ROBOTC to multiple computers using a building license, make sure the base image has ROBOTC installed and the building license files in the correct directory. As long as those two conditions are met, ROBOTC should be active on each computer the image is rolled out to with no futher action required.

There is, however, an exception. If ROBOTC is being run from a centralized network, each computer that needs to access ROBOTC must also install a Network Dependencies package (available from the ROBOTC downloads page). The building license file must also be properly installed on the network in order for networked computers to access ROBOTC.

Activate Online

To continue using ROBOTC past the 30 day trial period, you must purchase a ROBOTC license and then activate the license on each computer.

To activate ROBOTC, you will need the License ID and Password that was sent to you during the purchase process.

If you purchased a ROBOTC license online, the License ID and Password were sent to the email address specified.

If you ordered the CD-ROM version of ROBOTC, the License ID and Password are printed on the CD label.

If you are Activating the ROBOTC license on computers with internet access, follow the Activation instructions below.

NOTE: ROBOTC must be activated on each individual computer. ROBOTC can no longer be activated offline; the computers must be activated with a working internet connection. Once activation is complete, the computers do not need to remain online to stay activated.

Follow these steps to activate on a computer with internet access:

1) Open ROBOTC and navigate to the Help menu. From there, select 'Manage Licenses -> Add License'. If you do not already have a ROBOTC license, you may purchase one by clicking the 'Purchase License' option.

2) From the Manage License menu, select the 'Add License' button. Note that there is also a greyed out option for "Deactivate License". This allows you to deactivate the license (where applicable; not all licenses can be deactivated) and reactivate it on another computer. Once a license is activated, you can also see the registration information and create a desktop icon for ROBOTC by clikcing on their respective buttons.

3) Clicking the Add License button will bring up a 'Add New ROBOTC License' window. From here you must first select which type of license you have and then enter your License ID and Password (to see the password characters as you type, uncheck the 'mask' checkbox).

4) Once the information is entered, click the 'Activate Online' button to activate the product. If you wish to activate multiple products, simply repeat the process. You may also start a trial of any of the ROBOTC versions (assuming the trial has not already been activated on the computer) by selecting the program you'd wish to try and selecting "Start Trial".

Select Platform Type

Open the "Robot" menu in ROBOTC and hover your cursor over the "Platform Type" menu option. This will open up the platform select menu. Select the platform you wish you use with ROBOTC. You can change the platform type at any time.

ROBOTC for MINDSTORMS has support for five different platforms:

LEGO Mindstorms NXT

LEGO Mindstorms NXT + TETRIX/MATRIX

Natural Language (NXT)

Natural Language (TETRIX/MATRIX)

Robot Algebra (NXT)

Before you use ROBOTC, make sure to select which platform you are currently using (in this example, the Lego Mindstorms/TETRIX/MATRIX platform is selected).